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Bob Kramer knives?

Chuck Gedraitis Knives

Chuck Gedraitis Knives

Joined
Dec 10, 1998
Messages
4,860
I appreciate all the time that he puts into making his knives but can someone explain to me why there is a Bob Kramer chefs knife going for $7400 on ebay? Is it because he was on cbs?
 
Because some one is willing to pay that much for it.

Bob is a good guy and it is nice to see that his work is appreciated.
 
I agree that it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and good for him for getting such high prices, but how much higher can they go and how long will this last for?

Are the customers buying them actually going to use them?

The bubble has to burst eventually.
 
Sounds like you need to whip out a Chef's knife or two, Chuck...;)
 
That would be a real bummer if the bottom fell out and he was only get 3000 to 4000 for a Damascus chefs knife.
 
Good for Bob, I hope he rides the wave as long as he can.

I feel it has less to do with what somethings worth and more to do with how much somethings desired and what someone's willing to pay to get it. It's more about what a particular market will bear at a particular time.

In any case, he makes a fine knife.
 
Last edited:
Mike Quesenberry said:
That would be a real bummer if the bottom fell out and he was only get 3000 to 4000 for a Damascus chefs knife.
Click to expand...
He he he! This made me laugh out loud!

What Bob has found out, largely through his televised special, is there are a LOT of non-knife collectors (chefs/culinary users?) with a lot of money.

And maybe they ARE knife collectors. Whatever the case, it's testimony that opening the doors to a wider audience may be the key to untapped riches...

Bob appears to have a very likable personality, is meticulous about his work, and has subsequently created a rich market all his own. Kitchen knives demanding premiums?? Whodathunk.

Coop
 
Yes up to 29 bids with 17 hrs to go. Who says we are in a recession. Great looking knife!
 
Kitchen knives, huh, I guess I might have to make a few.

I can see Coop's point, there are a lot of chef's and restaurant owners who basically have production knives and want something better. According to the news segment his wait is 14months.
 
As a footnote, I got a Kramer/Shun "Sur La Table" Chefs knife and must say that it is an amazingly fine and refined kitchen knife in every respect. It is a carbon copy of his damascus knives and exceptionally balanced and ground.

"Non-Knife" people who are "foodies/cooking people" actually see the value in something like a $500 custom chefs knife far better or easier than a $500 custom slipjoint. In their eyes, one is a functional tool, one is pocket jewelery.

As far as an $8000 chefs knife, well I have a Maragni custom $800 chefs knife that I have never used, so I don't think I will be getting the 8K one ;)

Also, the popularity of cooking related shows is absolutely through the roof. Top Chef and others like it have created an entire genre of "Celebrity Chef's" that have more money, endorsement deals and perks than ever before. Those guys would buys something like this in a heartbeat.

Bob Kramer hit the right nerve at the right time with a meticulous product, well designed and with multiple big name endorsements. Cook's Illustrated being the first. It is a very influential magazine.
 
I agree with Coop. There are a LOT of people with a LOT of money and ebay is a worldwide market.

It is astounding what prices some items fetch and baffling what other items fail to reach.

In my experience, ebay is a good indicator of what people are willing to pay for something, yet specialty items, such as high end custom knives DON'T seem to sell for anything close to what they do at shows or knife dedicated websites. When I spent more time watching knife auctions on ebay, Randalls did better than MOST customs.

I recall someone trying to sell a Heron with a reasonable reserve and didn't get a bid over a couple hundred dollars.

Peter
 
Besides publicity, Bob Kramer's got one thing other knifemaker's don't have, street credit as a cook.
 
this blade is only a 8 inch chef i think the past ones have beenn a bit bigger

so far as every one laughing at mee for making knives and razors chefs, like a good auto repairman will spend good $ on good tools that make ther life easier

also the ppl that eat at the high end places had lots of $$$ before the bouble and they still have $$$ so the places they shop and eat also had steadyish income compared to the more middle classs jsut liek the hunter and bowie crowd that could buy 2k$ knives could for the nmost part still pick them up (tho a bit more cautiously)
 
Chuck,

What we need to do is make some nice damascus kitchen cutlery, then undercut Kramer by selling them in the $2500-3000 range. That'd be a fair business income for a day in the shop and $40 in materials, don't you think? We'd put him out of business and corner the market!

I do believe he will eventually saturate his super high end chef's knife market and the bottom will drop out. In the mean time he's doing well and hopefully stuffing a lot away into a retirement account.

David
 
Most makers fail to benefit directly when their knives take off, for whatever reason. They set up lotteries and then see the winners flip their knives for multiples.

Others take that state of the market as a signal to jack up prices, and they end up in a difficult position when their market shrinks by half.

Bob has found a way to keep some of the upside without loosing his read and butter customers. As of now, I think he's doing exactly the right thing.
 
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